A "Stop the Madness" march in Muskegon Heights Saturday is organized by a group working to help young people find alternatives to violence.MLive file photo

MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI – On Saturday, they will march for Kentae Jones. They will march for Quinton Miller. They will march for peace and an end to the street violence that has ended lives and changed others forever.

On Saturday, the marchers will gather at 2 p.m. at Muskegon Heights High School, 2441 Sanford St., and will march to Corinthians Baptist Church, 2027 Peck St., where they will have a short rally and share a meal.

Organizers aim to show solidarity between two cities – Muskegon and Muskegon Heights – and to call for citizens to join together to address the anger and disenfranchisement of young people.

JOIN THE CAUSE

• The public is urged to join the Stop the Madness march Saturday. Marchers will gather at 2 p.m. in front of Muskegon Heights High School, 2441 Sanford. They will march along Jefferson, Jarman and Barney streets to Corinthians Baptist Church for a short rally and a light meal.

• Anyone interested in brainstorming ways to help youth find alternatives to violence is invited to meetings of Working Together for Our Youth. Meetings are at 5:30 p.m. each Monday at Muskegon Heights High School's media center.

“We feel so many of the youth don’t have anything to do, and they’re running wild because they don’t think anyone cares,” Ware said.

The “Stop the Madness March” is just the first effort of a new group calling itself Working Together for Our Youth.

Started by Joseph Warren Jr. , president of the Muskegon Heights Alumni Association, and Nietra Hood of Muskegon, the group meets weekly to brainstorm ways to reach out to young people.

Warren said among their concerns is conflict between those who live in Muskegon and those from Muskegon Heights.

“We’re trying to join both communities together because it’s not just in Muskegon Heights,” Warren said. “We have people coming from Muskegon into Muskegon Heights and creating some of the violence and vice versa. We have people leaving Muskegon Heights and going into Muskegon and causing violence.”

The group, which meets each Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the Muskegon Heights High School media center, plans to conduct another march in the city of Muskegon. It is planning assemblies for students at Muskegon and Muskegon Heights high schools and it is surveying students to determine what sort of help and resources they would benefit from, Warren said.

Group members have also met with the law enforcement community to offer help.

Eric Hood, who is married to Nietra Hood and is a member of the Muskegon City Commission, has regularly attended group meetings since they started about two months ago.

“This is one big community – Muskegon and Muskegon Heights,” Hood said. “What separates us are railroad tracks. We all have family in the Heights and people in the Heights have family in Muskegon.”

While the Working Together for Youth group doesn’t have solutions to street violence, at least its members care enough to search for some, Hood said.

“It just shows we as citizens care, and that’s good enough for now,” he said.

Community members – whether from Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, Norton Shores or beyond – are urged to join Saturday’s march. They are asked to wear white shirts to signify peace, especially ones with positive messages, and to bring banners with uplifting messages.

“I’ll support it," Eric Hood said. "I'll be there with my walking shoes.”